The third in the Dylan Lockdown Series:

James & Chrissie's reading of 'Standing In The Doorway'
Thanks one more to Tchad Blake on mixing duties and the whole Blake family for the video.

View on YouTube

Enjoy!
We're giving away a free Pretenders logo bandana with each t shirt or hoodie order.

These fabulous bandanas can also be purchased separately and make a great face covering during the pandemic.

One bandana will be added by us to your order while stocks last; there is no need to add any to your cart unless you want to buy any extra. If you placed an order for a t shirt or hoodie over the weekend we have also put one in your package.

Stay safe!

Visit ShopHow ya getting on in these conspiracy riddled times? I’m doing good myself, but then I have not a shred of paranoia in my head ( I burned it all out in the late 60’s / early 70’s.) If ‘they' microchip me, I'll still be outside ‘their' jurisdiction because no man has been able to control me this far. Be my guest if you wanna try. Meanwhile I’m listening to the birds.

I also just listened to our very own 'live keyboards' master, Carwyn Ellis’s new releases on bandcamp, Cherry Blossom Promenade and Ti.
A little bit of back story on his latest: I introduced Carwyn to Kassin Kassin, one of the freakishly talented Brazilians I worked with ( Moreno Veloso, Domenico Lancellati and Kassin ) during a tour of Brazil with them in ( oops….I forget the date. About 17 years ago ) Kassin went on to produce Carwyn’s 2018 album Joia! to rave reviews / critical acclaim.

https://carwynellisrio18.bandcamp.com/releases

(I even saw the iconic Welsh actor, Rhys Ifans, on a train last year and he made a point of coming over to me to tell me how much he liked it. That’s not really part of the back story but I enjoy name dropping, so Rhys Ifans, Rhys Ifans, Rhys Ifans)

So, Cherry Blossom Promenade and Ti - OUT NOW

Ti: https://carwynellis.bandcamp.com/album/ti-ep
CBP: https://carwynellis.bandcamp.com/track/cherry-blossom-promenade
(You may be a bit miffed to find Carwyn sings in Welsh, but most of you probably don’t speak Portuguese either.)

FYI:
James and I are continuing on our Dylan series. It’s been great getting into the back catalogue and revisiting Bob’s lyrical genius. Tchad Blake and his magical alchemy makes them sound like we did not record them in lockdown on our phones, which we have. The big surprise are the video’s the Blake family have made in Wales to go with.
Listen, Watch, Enjoy.

xchView on YouTubeChrissie's very good friend and rock photographer extraordinaire, Jill Furmanovsky and Rockarchive have made this print of the late great John Prine available to you and yours.

Most of the proceeds will go to Unicef to help with their Coronavirus fallout campaign.

grab yours here

- chhqYes the blogs are coming fast and furious now!

I just wanted to add this to the current American conversation in case anyone is interested: how about proposing a new law that voting is Mandatory. If you don’t vote, you get fined. Same as a parking ticket.

I get fed up reading that half the population is so complacent and non-committal they don’t bother to get their asses off to the voting stations. If for no other reason, do it for those who fought to get the right to vote.

And if you don’t like either candidate - pick the one you dislike the least.
Vote, and then shut up or do something about it. Stop talking about it.
Ok - I’ll go back to my cave.

later……
xch

Further info on compulsory votingHi Ya’ll!

How’s everyone doing on the ‘Holiday’?
I was so buoyed up by the new Dylan songs that I talked to Pretenders Guitar playing hot-shot James Walbourne and we decided it’s a good time to do those Dylan songs we’ve always talked about doing. Every singer-songwriter in the world covers the master's songs and there is an endless supply of them. So we’ve started, and will do one a week until lockdown ends.

The First one is off the Shot of Love album, In The Summertime. We did it from home on our phones. I did the rhythm - sent it to James, he added guitar , sent it back to me, i put on the vocal , sent it back to him, he put on some back up vocals and organ, then we sent it to Tchad Blake to tidy up. I know you don’t need the behind the scenes details so I won’t repeat myself on the next one.
xch

View on YouTube

Enjoy!Hi people!

I wanted to share this cool-ass song i did with The Picture Books. Their new album, The Hands of Time is out now.

I first heard them doing their sound-check on the beach in St. Tropez at a biker festival in 2017. I ran out to see who was making all the noise. They pretty much sum up all the stuff I love in the genre of biker rock. Does anyone do stuff like this anymore? The answer is yes. Thank God.

They asked if i wanted to sing on You Can’t Let Go, and of-course being the coolest woman in rock ( not my description - yours ) I immediately said Yes Please.

Here it is!

Xch
What a lovely day for a gig at an art museum.....the future of touring?A big hello and thank-you to everyone who came to Mass Moca for our only N. American Pretenders show this year.
I saw so many familiar faces in the audience and that's such a boost. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth all the fuss - the travel, the nerves ( yes, i do get nervous which is why i don’t talk to anyone on show days) and all the preparation. Especially for just one show. Then i see you and it all make sense. We enjoy it as much as you - as long as you’re there.

The Mass Moca experience is very unique and we hope to go back. I got the opportunity to see the incredible Annie Lennox installation “ Now I Let You Go”. .( And i understand she performed some songs when she was there, just her on piano. Sorry I missed that! )

We got home just in the nick of time for me to get a cab to The Hammersmith Apollo to see the phenomenal K. D. Lang. Whew! Just mind-blowing . What a voice that lady has. ( I met a woman on the way out who said it changed her life. Mine too.)

Lastly, I want to apologise ( again and again ) for not being very forthcoming when I’m not on stage. ( actually, I’m just not very nice off-duty. Even the straight shooting Bill Burr 'comedian extraordinaire’ commented on what a bummer chick I was with the public after our ARyo SEco show last summer) So, my apologies to the woman who said “ she looks like the singer we saw last night” in the Native American shop we stopped at on the way to Logan Airport. Yes, it WAS the woman you saw. I know I’m the world’s worst ‘famous person’. I should have said ‘hello', but i was too busy stocking up on maple syrup.

~Next time.
xch